Admittedly, my expectations for the D810 were not initially as high as they were when Nikon released the D800 two years ago. The Nikon D810 is not the groundbreaking DSLR platform that the D800 was – and to an extent – still is.

After all – how much could actually be different between the D800 and the D810?

When you take a look at the spec sheet comparing the D810 to the D800E you don’t notice a lot of differences. On the surface, the D810 is not really that exciting. You aren’t going to see a lot of photographers dumping their D800 or D800E to run out and get one.

In theory, and – according to DxOMark Sensor Scores, the D810 captures better detail than the 800E can. This is because Nikon decided to completely remove the anti-aliasing filter on their newly-designed 36.3 megapixel image sensor.

What Does All of This Mean?

It means that the sensor is capable of capturing higher levels of detail than ever before and it can do it at lower ISO settings. The base ISO of the D810 is 64, whereas the base of the D800E was 100. Increased likelihood of moire patterning is the downside of completely removing the optical low pass filter – it’s also one of the reasons some photographers chose the D800 over the D800E. Originally, when released, the D800E included a filter that reduced anti-aliasing effects. Now, that filter is completely removed.

There are a number of other features that the D810 improves upon when compared to the D800 and D800E.

• A Newly Designed 36.3 Megapixel Image Sensor With no AA Filter
• 5fps Speed In FX Mode vs. 4fps with the D800
• Group Area AutoFocus (5-AF points can act as a single point)
• Redesigned First-Curtain Shutter
• Vibration Reduction Mirror Mechanism
• 1080/60p with built-in mic (D810) vs. 1080/30p HD video recording with monaural audio (D800)
• Improved 3.2” 1,229,000-dot RGBW LCD Screen
• Simultaneous Memory Card And HDMI Output
• “Unlimited” Continuous Shooting (Improved Buffering)

Beyond the improved image sensor, the best feature of the new D810 is improved video shooting and buffering ability. While 4k video is still out of the picture, the Nikon D810 offer 1080/60p HD video recording – a big improvement over the 1080/30p performance of the D800 and D800E that came before. Nikon also added a built-in microphone.

Additionally, the new EXPEED 4 processor means faster image buffering. The D800 was rated for 100 continuous images before the buffer filled up. Nikon claims that the D810 can shoot continuously until the card is full. Many current tests show that this might not be the case.

Nikon also moved a few of the buttons around, upgraded the exterior of the camera, and added an improved LCD screen.

Who Is Going to Buy a Nikon D810?

At the time the D800 and D800E were released, I was personally considering making the jump from Canon to Nikon for my personal full-frame camera. It seems that Canon couldn’t keep up – and in terms of raw resolution numbers – still can’t keep up with Nikon’s level of innovation.

If, in 2012, you decided to make the jump and buy a D800, you don’t need to run right out and get the D810. It’s simply an upgrade of the completely revolutionary D800 platform.

Yes, there are improvements that D800 users can appreciate. The improved mirror mechanism reduces vibrations – something that I’ve experienced as a problem while shooting test images with a D800. If you’re into tripod-mounted photography where every vibration matters, the D810 might be worth it.

Removing the AA filer also has some positive effect on image quality – but that improvement is ever so slight compared to the D800E which already had an optical bypass filter designed to eliminate AA filter effects.

Now, if you’ve been on the fence about full frame cameras in the $3,000 to $4,000 price range and you didn’t already buy a D800 or D800E, the D810 is the camera for you. It offers measurably better performance over the D800 lineup, the best full frame resolution you can find in this price range, and better autofocus performance than the Canon 5D mk III.

The Nikon D810 is currently available for order via Amazon.